The causal body consists of matter of the first, second and third sub-planes of the mental plane. The student will recollect that an atom of mental matter contains 49 to the 4th, or 5,764,801 - approximately , say, 5 ¾ millions –of
"bubbles in koilon".
In ordinary people the causal body is not yet fully active, and consequently only that matter which belongs to the third sub-plane is vivified. As the ego during the long course of his evolution, unfolds his latent possibilities, the higher matter is
gradually brought into activity; but it is only in the perfected men whom we call Adepts, or Master, that it is developed to its fullest extent.
It is difficult to describe a causal body fully, because the senses belonging to the causal world are altogether different from and higher than those we employ at the physical level. Such memory of the appearance of a causal body, as it is possible for a clairvoyant to bring into his physical brain, represents it as ovoid, that being, in fact, the shape of all the higher bodies, and as surrounding the physical body of the man, extending to a distance of about 18 inches from the surface of the physical body.
A human being, who has just individualised from the animal kingdom, has a causal body of minimum size.
In the case of primitive man, the causal body resembles a bubble and gives the impression of being empty. It is a mere colourless film, just sufficient, apparently, to hold itself together and make a reincarnating entity, but no more. Although it is filled with higher mental matter, this is not yet brought into activity, and so it remains colourless and transparent. As the man develops, this matter is
gradually stirred into alertness by vibrations which reach it from the lower bodies.
This comes but slowly, because, the activities of man in the earlier stages of his evolution are not of a character to obtain expression in matter so fine as that of the causal body. But, when a man reaches the stage where he is capable either of abstract thought, or of unselfish emotion, the matter of the causal body is aroused into response.
The vibrations thus aroused show themselves in the causal body as colours, so that instead of being a mere transparent bubble, it gradually becomes a sphere filled with matter of the most lovely and delicate hues, an object beautiful beyond all conception.
The student will be familiar with the meaning of the various colours, from his study of the same phenomenon in the astral and mental bodies. Thus pale rose expresses unselfish affection; yellow indicates high intellectual power; blue betokens devotion; sympathy is expressed by greenand luminous lilac-blue typifies the higher spirituality. These same colours in the denser bodies are, of course, far less delicate and also less living.
Although, in the course of his evolution in the lower worlds, a man often introduces into his vehicles qualities which are undesirable, and entirely inappropriate for his life as an ego—such , for example, as pride,
irritability,sensuality,- yet none of these can be expressed in the causal body.
Diagram XXIV may help to make clear the reason for this important
phenomenon. Each section of the astral body acts strongly upon matter of the corresponding mental sub-plane. Hence, as the coarser vibrations of the astral body are expressed only in the lower sub-planes of the astral world, they will affect the mental body only, not the causal body. The causal body therefore, is
affected only by the three higher portions of the astral body, and the vibrations in those portions represent only good qualities.
The practical effect of this is that the man can build into his ego, that is, nothing but good qualities.. The evil qualities which he develops are from the point of view of the ego, only transitory, and must be thrown aside as the man advances, because he no longer has within him matter which can express them.
DIAGRAM XXIV-- The sub-planes of the astral and mental planes are here shown as of diminishing size, in order to illustrate the fact of their increasing, fineness as we rise from the lower to the higher levels.
Openings between adjacent sub-planes of each plane indicate that certain of the
"vibrations " of a given sub-plane can be transmitted to the sub-plane immediately above. These
openings or gateways become narrower and narrower, indicating that only the finest vibrations can pass onwards to the higher levels.
Openings between each sub-plane of the astral plane and the
corresponding sub-plane of the mental plane , indicate that there is also a possibility of an astral vibration being communicated, at a higher octave, to the corresponding, mental sub-plane.
The diagram further illustrates that the mental body is more directly affected by the four lower levels of the astral plane, whilst the causal body is affected by only three higher levels of astral matter.
For coloured illustrations of causal bodies at various degrees of development, the student is referred to Man Visible and Invisible, by C.W.Leadbeater, as follows-:
Causal body of Savage [Plate V, page 66]
Causal Body of average man [Plate VIII, page 91]
Causal Body of developed man [Plate XXI, page 118]
Causal Body of Arhat [Plate XXVI, page 138]
As already said, the causal body of an undeveloped savage is like a gigantic soap-bubble, transparent yet iridescent. It is almost empty in appearance, what little there is within it representing certain qualities which may already have been evolved within the Group-Soul, of which it previously formed, a part. The faint indications of these rates of vibrations are observable within the young causal body as dawning gleams of colour.
It might perhaps have been thought that the causal body of a primitive man would be very small at first.; but this is not the case; his causal body is the same size as any other; it does at later stage increase in size, but not until it has first been vivified and filled with active matter.
In the case of an average man, there is a distinct increase in the content of the great ovoid film. A certain amount of exceedingly delicate and ethereal colour now exists within it, though it is still less than half filled. Something of the higher intellect is visible, and something of the power of devotion and unselfish love.
There is also a faint tint of that exceedingly delicate violet which indicates the capacity of love and devotion turned towards the highest ideal, and also a faint hint of the clear green of sympathy and compassion.
As soon as the man begins to develop in spirituality, or even higher intellect, a change takes place. The real individual then begins to have a persisting
character of his own, apart from that moulded in each of his personalities in turn by training, and by surrounding circumstances. This character shows itself in the size, colour, luminosity, and definiteness of the causal body, just as that of the personality shows itself in the mental body, except that the higher vehicle is naturally subtler and more beautiful.
In the case of the spiritually developed man, an enormous change is noticed. The glorious iridescent film is now completely filled with the most lovely colours, typifying the higher forms of love, devotion and sympathy aided by an intellect refined and spiritualised, and by aspirations reaching ever towards the divine.
Some of these colours have no place in the physical plane spectrum.
The inconceivably fine and delicate matter of such a causal body is intensely alive and pulsating with living fire, forming a radiant globe of flashing colours, its high vibrations sending ripples of changing hues over its surface-hues of which earth knows nothing,---brilliant, soft and luminous beyond the power of language to describe.
Such a causal body is filled with living fire, drawn from a still higher plane, with which it appears to be connected by a quivering thread of intense light -- the Sutratma—vividly recalling to mind the stanzas of Dzyan : "The spark hangs from
the flame by the finest thread of Fohat." As the soul grows,and is able to receive more and more from the inexhaustible ocean of Divine Spirit, which pours down through the thread as a channel, the channel expands, and gives wider passage to the flood, till, on the next sub-plane, it might be imaged as a water-spout connecting earth and sky, and higher still as itself a globe, through which rushes the living spring, until the causal body seems to melt into the inpouring light. As the stanza says: "The thread between the watcher and his shadow becomes, more strong and radiant with every change. The morning sunlight has changed into noonday glory. This is thy present wheel, said the flame to the spark. Thou art myself, my image and my shadow. I have clothed myself in thee, and thou art my vahan --to the day " Be-With-Us ", when thou shalt re-become myself and others, thyself and me."
It was said about that in the undeveloped man the causal body is at first almost empty, and as the man develops, the ovoid gradually fills up. When it is
completely filled, not only will it commence to grow in size, but in addition, streams of force will flow out in various directions. This, is in fact, is one of the grandest characteristics of the developed man—his capacity to serve as a channel for higher force. For his attitude of helpfulness, and readiness, to give, make it possible for the divine strength to descend upon him in a steady stream, and, through him, reach many who are not yet strong enough to receive it
directly.
Furthermore, from the upper part of the causal body there ascends a crown of brilliant sparks, indicating the activity of spiritual aspiration, and of course adding very greatly to the beauty and dignity of the man's appearance. No matter how the lower man may be occupied on the physical plane, this stream of sparks rises constantly. The reason for this is that once the soul or ego of man is awakened upon his own level, and is beginning to understand something of himself, and his relation, to the Divine, he looks ever upwards to the source from which he came, quite irrespective of any activities which he may be inspiring on lower planes.
It must be remembered that even the noblest personality is but a very small and partial expression of the real higher self; so that as soon as the higher self begins to look round him, he finds almost unlimited possibilities opening before him, of which in this cramped physical life we can form no idea.
This very upward rushing of spiritual aspiration which makes so glorious a crown for the developed man, is itself the channel through which the divine power descends: so that the fuller and stronger his aspirations become, the larger is the measure of the grace from on high.
In the case of the causal body of an Arhat, i.e., of one who has passed the Fourth of the great Initiations --the colours have two characteristics, which are irreconcilable on the physical plane. They are more delicate and ethereal than any that have been previously described, :yet at the same time they are fuller, more brilliant and more luminous. The size of the causal body is many times
larger than that of the physical body, and there is displayed magnificent
development of the highest types of intellect, love and devotion, great wealth of sympathy, and highest, spirituality.
The bands of colours are arranged now in concentric rings, while through these, and extending beyond them, there are streams of white light, radiating, outwards from the centre. The outrush of Divine influence is thus enormously intensified, for the man has become an almost perfect channel for the life and power of the Logos. Not only does the glory radiate from him in white light, but all colours of the rainbow play round him, in ever changing gleams like mother-of-pearl. Hence there is something in that radiation to strengthen the highest qualities in every person who approaches him, no matter what qualities may be. None can come within the range of his influence without being the better for it; he shines upon all around him like the sun, for like that luminary, he has become a manifestation of the Logos.
The causal body of the Adept or Master has enormously increased in size and shines with a sun-like splendour far beyond all imagination in its glorious
loveliness. Of the beauty and form and colour here, as C.W.Leadbeater, states, no words can speak, for mortal language has no terms in which those radiant spheres may be described. Such a vehicle would be a separate study itself, but one quite beyond the powers of any but those who are already far on the Path.
As in the case of the causal body of an Arhat, the colours no longer move in whirling clouds, but are arranged in great concentric shells, yet penetrated everywhere by radiations of living light, always pouring forth from Him as a centre.
The order of the colours varies according to the type to which the Adept belongs, so that there are several well-marked varieties amid their glory. A perfectly
accurate tradition of this fact has been preserved in many of the roughly drawn pictures of the Lord Buddha, which may be seen upon temple walls in Ceylon.
The Great Teacher is usually represented there surrounded by an aura; and, although the colouring and general arrangement of those surroundings would be very inaccurate, and even impossible, if intended for the aura of an ordinary man, or even for that of one who is the rank of a Master, yet it is a rough and material representation of the actual higher vehicle of the Adept of that particular type, to which this Great One belongs.
The causal body is sometimes called the "auric egg". But, when H.P.Blavatsky spoke of the sacred auric egg, it seems probable that she meant the four permanent atoms—more accurately, the physical and astral permanent atoms, the mental unit, and the mental permanent atom,----within an envelope of matter of the Atmic of Nirvanic plane.
The Causal Body is known also as the Augoeides, the glorified man; it is not an image of any one of his past vehicles, but contains within itself the essence of all
that was best in each of them. It thus indicates , more or less perfectly, as
through experience it grows, what the Deity means that man shall, be. For, as we have seen, by observation of the causal vehicle it is possible to see the stage of evolution which the man has reached. Not only can his past history be seen, but also to a considerable extent the future that lies before him.
The glorified form within the causal body is an approach to the archetype and comes nearer to it as man develops. The human form appears to be the model for the highest evolution in this particular system. It is varied slightly in different planets, but is, broadly speaking, the same in general outline. In other solar systems forms may possibly be quite unlike it : on that point we have no information.
Prana, or Vitality, exists in all planes, and therefore must play some part in the causal body, but concerning this no information is at present available.
We may note, however, that after the formation of the causal body, the complexityof the prana circulating in the nervous system of the physical body much increases, and it appears to become yet more enriched in the progress, of human evolution. For, as the consciousness becomes active on the mental plane, the prana of that plane mingles with the lower, as the activity of consciousness is carried on in higher regions.
In the causal body also, as in each of the other vehicles, there are Chakrams or Force-Centres, which in addition to other functions, serve as points of connection at which force flows from one vehicle to another. At present time, however , no information is available regarding the Chakrams of the causal body.